Texas players, from left to right, Cristina Arenas, Sha'Dare McNeal, Destinee Hooker and Juliann Faucette celebrate their win over Minnesota in the NCAA college volleyball national semifinal match Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. Texas won 3-0 to advance to the national championship game on Saturday, Dec. 19. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Junior Destinee Hooker became the second female in NCAA history to win three outdoor high jump titles Friday afternoon after she cleared 6-4.75 (1.95m) to win the 2009 NCAA Outdoor high jump crown. Hooker joins Arizona�s Tanya Hughes who accomplished the feat from 1991-93.

Photo By Beth Hall/Express-News

Texas' Destiny Hooker makes at attempt during the high jump finals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday, June 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Beth Hall)

Photo By Express-News

Destinee Hooker

Photo By Austin American-Statesman/Express-News

Clifton Gay, left, asks Destinee Hooker to marry him after she completed the high jump during the Texas relays on Friday, April 3, 2009 in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Ricardo B. Brazziell) ** NO MAGS, NO SALES, NO TV. INTERNET: AP NEWSPAPER MEMBER ONLY **

Photo By TOM REEL/Express-News

Destinee Hooker clears her final height to win the women's high jump at the Texas Relays Friday afternoon at Mike Myers Stadium in Austin. Tom Reel/Staff April 3, 2009.

Destinee Hooker: All area athletes photograhed Friday, December 10, 2004 in the studio. BAHRAM MARK SOBHANI

Photo By KIN MAN HUI/Express-News

Southwest's Destinee Hooker (33) takes a shot past Clark's Ashley Heitmeier (50) during their season opening basketball game at O'Connor High School on Tuesday, November 9, 2004. (Kin Man Hui/staff)

Photo By KIN MAN HUI/Express-News

Southwest's Destinee Hooker (33) fights for a loose ball with Clarks' Liz Purnell (34) during their basketball game at O'Connor High School on Tuesday, November 9, 2004. Southwest defeated Clark, 58-46. (Kin Man Hui/staff)

Photo By KIN MAN HUI/Express-News

Southwest's Destinee Hooker (33) skies above Clarks' Liz Purnell (34) for a rebound during their basketball game at O'Connor High School on Tuesday, November 9, 2004. Southwest defeated Clark, 58-46. (Kin Man Hui/staff)

Photo By TOM REEL/Express-News

Destiny Hooker hangs in with the leaders in the high jump as the bar went to 6 feet. STATE TRACK MEET TOM REEL/STAFF MAY 15, 2004.

Photo By ROBERT MCLEROY/Express-News

Destinee Hooker is one of the top returning track standouts in the area. Monday February 23, 2004 at Southwest High School. (Robert McLeroy/Staff)

When the U.S. women's volleyball team rolled into Tokyo last month for the final round of the FIVB World Cup, former San Antonio area prep standout Destinee Hooker held one thought.

“I was definitely nervous,” she said.

At stake was a berth in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Three matches remained — all against contending teams — and the U.S. squad needed to win twice to earn a trip to London.

“Coach (Hugh McCutcheon) let us know that everyone (on the schedule) was still in the running,” she said. “So, you want to give them respect, but you don't want to give them any slack.”

Hooker took that advice personally.

She promptly produced two of the best performances of her career, leading the Americans to the Olympic berth with consecutive victories over powerhouses China and Italy.

Based on high-level showings at the World Cup and in two other major international tournaments last fall, Hooker has been named the 2011 Express-News Sportswoman of the Year.

McCutcheon acknowledged that his high-flying, opposite-side hitter has become one of the world's best players. Given that the 24-year-old Hooker has been with the team only two years, is the coach surprised at that?

“Honestly, no,” he said. “Once you get to know her and you understand her drive and competitive nature, it's not surprising. Athletically, she's a very special talent. Combine that with her drive to succeed, and it's not surprising at all.”

Hooker first won the Express-News honor in 2005 as she was completing her high school career with the Southwest Dragons.

That year, she shared the Sportswoman of the Year award with her older sister, Marshevet Hooker, who is now Marshevet Myers.

Destinee won the E-N honor again in 2009 after she led the Texas Longhorns to the NCAA championship game in volleyball.

Now she has become the only athlete — female or male — to pull off the trifecta as a three-time winner since the newspaper initiated the award in 1985.

“That's a huge honor to have won it three times,” Hooker said. “When it comes to my career, I really just try to stay humble. It's what my parents always tell me: ‘It's all about what you make of it.'”

At the World Cup, Italy finished first, followed by the United States and China. Based on those performances, all three nations qualified for the Olympics.

That's what made Hooker's performance in the final round all the more remarkable. She saved her best efforts for the best teams — in matches played on back-to-back days.

“She was phenomenal,” McCutcheon said. “In those two matches when she was hot, you know, you got to ride the hot hand.”

Hooker pounded out a career-high 39 points in the five-set victory over China. With the Olympic berth on the line against Italy, she produced an additional 24 in four sets as USA teammates kept feeding her at the net.

“To have performances like that, back to back, is what you have to do in that tournament,” said McCutcheon, who coached the U.S. men to the Olympic gold medal in 2008. “You play 11 matches in 14 days. You have to string 'em together. (Destinee) was great at that. She was consistent. She just competed like crazy and just kept fighting and scrapping.

“Like everyone else, she was trying to punch that ticket to London.”

Coming off knee surgery last spring, Hooker also led the USA to victories in the FIVB World Grand Prix in Macau, and in the NORCECA Continental Cup in Puerto Rico.

Despite the success, she is approaching the Olympics year as if she were fighting for a U.S. roster spot.

Hooker, who will compete in a four-month pro league season in Brazil starting in January, said she likes it that the roster won't be announced until the day before the U.S. team leaves for London.

“I mean, if we know who's going, what does it matter?” she asked.

McCutcheon said it's important to maintain that sort of attitude leading into the Olympics.

“Destinee has come a long way,” he said. “She knows what's at stake. She doesn't take it for granted. She comes into the gym and works hard. I think that mindset is appropriate — that we're not done yet.”